Hello All, Thanks to Heidi (North NSW in case there are many Heidi's, She knows who she is anyway) for this great Link.
I used to run an organic farm 30 years ago for a lovely Swiss girl, life took over and haven't milked for 28 years. Went to see Joel Salatin ,the American John Seymour of our time. Basically he said , don't wait , get on with it , no exscuses that your land is too small or no land or whatever. Typically I went overboard , bought 6 cows , 2 pigs and 12 chooks , luckily only one cow in milk a lovely Guernsey . I hope to train some of the others as house cows and sell them on. I love cows and milking . Hope to make cheese soon. The milk is so sweet and creamy. I have forgotten so much. Including how to spell.
Most important of all my partner Claire and I are having a baby in late August and then we intend to head up to North NSW to live . Thanks to those who are responsible for the site .
Cheers Tam
Hello from Macedon Victoria
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Shadowgirlau
- Posts: 2281
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:57 pm
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hello Tam,
Welcome to the forum where it is always nice to hear from new people on the road to self reliance. Your friend is right, there is no time like the present and there are no excuses for not entering this type of lifestyle either. Well none that I can think of anyway
Congratulations expectantly, may you all be safe and well.
Kathleen
Welcome to the forum where it is always nice to hear from new people on the road to self reliance. Your friend is right, there is no time like the present and there are no excuses for not entering this type of lifestyle either. Well none that I can think of anyway
Congratulations expectantly, may you all be safe and well.
Kathleen
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
- John Lennon
- John Lennon
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hi Tam,
Firstly, some days, I'm really not certain of who I am at all Tam! Secondly, congratulations to you and Claire. When is the baby due? Thirdly, are you insane... 6 cows!!!! LOL that's funny, in for a penny in for a pound evidently! Great to meet someone else who doesn't do things by halves either.
I do hope you enjoy this site. Although really, you've probably forgotten more than I'll ever know in relation to cow care and farming!
Bye for now,
Heidi
Firstly, some days, I'm really not certain of who I am at all Tam! Secondly, congratulations to you and Claire. When is the baby due? Thirdly, are you insane... 6 cows!!!! LOL that's funny, in for a penny in for a pound evidently! Great to meet someone else who doesn't do things by halves either.
I do hope you enjoy this site. Although really, you've probably forgotten more than I'll ever know in relation to cow care and farming!
Bye for now,
Heidi
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hi Tam,
Welcome and congratulations to you and Claire.
I see how you'd end up with all those cows, it's just hard to stop, I know.
Another North Coast person on the forum, we'll be giving them in WA a run for the money soon....
Vicki
Welcome and congratulations to you and Claire.
I see how you'd end up with all those cows, it's just hard to stop, I know.
Another North Coast person on the forum, we'll be giving them in WA a run for the money soon....
Vicki
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hi Tam and welcome. Congrats on expectant baby and pending parenthood.
What sort of cows do you have? We've just moved bigger and 'gone for it'....since feb we've gained 4 ewes and a ram, 3 cows (one has calved) and two alpacas. The cows are Highland cows for meat and we keep making ourselves wait a little longer for a milking cow - enough that needs doing already!!
How much land are you on?
Hayley
What sort of cows do you have? We've just moved bigger and 'gone for it'....since feb we've gained 4 ewes and a ram, 3 cows (one has calved) and two alpacas. The cows are Highland cows for meat and we keep making ourselves wait a little longer for a milking cow - enough that needs doing already!!
How much land are you on?
Hayley
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hi Hayley,
Thanks for your good wishes.
We have 2 Guernsey , they are tested A2 which is a plus , lovely sweet creamy milk, Very gentle animals and easy to train. When you are in the market do go for low producing animals with big teats , in case you ever have to hand milk. I love getting up every morning to milk and see to the animals. I also have 2 Jersey in calf but not in milk that I am going to sell and a Dexter Jersey cross with calf in calf who is for sale and and a Fresian Jersey cross I am going to keep for the while.All the cows have been with a bull , the Guernseys have been with a Guernsey bull the others with an Angus to give beef calves.
Sorry if this is to much information.
Kind regards,
Tam
Thanks for your good wishes.
We have 2 Guernsey , they are tested A2 which is a plus , lovely sweet creamy milk, Very gentle animals and easy to train. When you are in the market do go for low producing animals with big teats , in case you ever have to hand milk. I love getting up every morning to milk and see to the animals. I also have 2 Jersey in calf but not in milk that I am going to sell and a Dexter Jersey cross with calf in calf who is for sale and and a Fresian Jersey cross I am going to keep for the while.All the cows have been with a bull , the Guernseys have been with a Guernsey bull the others with an Angus to give beef calves.
Sorry if this is to much information.
Kind regards,
Tam
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hayley I am sorry I did not answer land size. I have 5 acers of mainly garden, the cows have the grass in winter but cause havoc in summer as they love oak trees more than Poo loves honey. I adjist with neighbours normally.
Tam
Tam
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Sorry been off for a while! We have 16 acres and trying to work out our lands carrying capacity. Currently we have 3 highland cows, 1 calf; and 5 sheep, 2 alpacas.
Definitely looking at getting a milking cow probably next year. If you're looking to sell any then let me know!
Not too much info at all - what is a low producer? As in not produces as much milk as a freisian?
Definitely looking at getting a milking cow probably next year. If you're looking to sell any then let me know!
Not too much info at all - what is a low producer? As in not produces as much milk as a freisian?
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
I may well have a house cow to sell at that time. I mean by low producer less than 20lt a day .The big time girls from all accounts give 50 lts + . Maddness really. I am really happy with a cow that produces 10lts . The best way is to share with a calf so that you just take what you need.
I will know at the time what a cow is giving and also if I have a cow that is ready to be sold . By that I mean trained as a house cow , used to that close human contact. Easy to lead , Used to hand and machine milking. Some cows do not become good house cows so I can not be sure until they calve and I start milking them.
I will know at the time what a cow is giving and also if I have a cow that is ready to be sold . By that I mean trained as a house cow , used to that close human contact. Easy to lead , Used to hand and machine milking. Some cows do not become good house cows so I can not be sure until they calve and I start milking them.
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Oh we can't wait to have our milking cow! Yours sounds great and sounds like you properly get them ready as a house cow. 20 litres a day is ALOT. 10 litres a day would be more than we could use ourselves!
Can I ask how much you would look at selling a cow for?
We've been thinking jersey or dexter as they are smaller cows.
Now to get the orchard planted, chook areas set up, shelters to build, market garden to establish, vegie garden to extend, berries to plant.....THEN we can get to building a milking shed!
Can I ask how much you would look at selling a cow for?
We've been thinking jersey or dexter as they are smaller cows.
Now to get the orchard planted, chook areas set up, shelters to build, market garden to establish, vegie garden to extend, berries to plant.....THEN we can get to building a milking shed!
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Hi Hayhay,
Yes 20 litres is a lot, until you don't have it anymore, and then you think of all the things that you could've done with the milk when you had plenty!!!! One batch of Edam cheese can take 20L nicely, and ricotta... the list goes on and on. Then there's the pigs that you MUST have when she's freshened! You can feed the pigs milk or the skimmed milk once you've gotten the cream, and then you will have lovely pork in about 3 months time! Then there's the clabbered milk that you allow to go sour in a bucket and solidify, and you feed that to your chickens!Then, if you have a freezer you can start freezing milk for the two months or so when the cow is dry! So much milk.. so many things to do with it. The main issue is finding fridge space to store it!
Of course, sometimes with a high producing cow you can get them to produce less, simply by reducing their feed quantity and quality, however, this won't work with some cows, who are just genetically big milkers, and will go down in condition to keep producing the same amount of milk.
Ideally, you should have a cow that provides just the right amount of milk for your purposes and eats accordingly, hence more efficient for your family. I can extol the virtues of Jersey's and in the other corner you will have Vicki spruiking about the wonderful multitasking Dexters!
I know, its all a ways off yet!
Bye for now,
Heidi
Yes 20 litres is a lot, until you don't have it anymore, and then you think of all the things that you could've done with the milk when you had plenty!!!! One batch of Edam cheese can take 20L nicely, and ricotta... the list goes on and on. Then there's the pigs that you MUST have when she's freshened! You can feed the pigs milk or the skimmed milk once you've gotten the cream, and then you will have lovely pork in about 3 months time! Then there's the clabbered milk that you allow to go sour in a bucket and solidify, and you feed that to your chickens!Then, if you have a freezer you can start freezing milk for the two months or so when the cow is dry! So much milk.. so many things to do with it. The main issue is finding fridge space to store it!
Of course, sometimes with a high producing cow you can get them to produce less, simply by reducing their feed quantity and quality, however, this won't work with some cows, who are just genetically big milkers, and will go down in condition to keep producing the same amount of milk.
Ideally, you should have a cow that provides just the right amount of milk for your purposes and eats accordingly, hence more efficient for your family. I can extol the virtues of Jersey's and in the other corner you will have Vicki spruiking about the wonderful multitasking Dexters!
I know, its all a ways off yet!
Bye for now,
Heidi
Re: Hello from Macedon Victoria
Ah ha Heidi,
But I have yet to milk my dexters, I spruik on the experiences of others at this point in time.
Mind you I've seen when in good condition they have a good sized udder and the calves do extremely well, in saying that we're still trying to get them back to where they were this time last year.
Big lesson, if they go down, it takes more than double to get them back and maintaining over winter isn't an option.
Vicki
But I have yet to milk my dexters, I spruik on the experiences of others at this point in time.
Mind you I've seen when in good condition they have a good sized udder and the calves do extremely well, in saying that we're still trying to get them back to where they were this time last year.
Big lesson, if they go down, it takes more than double to get them back and maintaining over winter isn't an option.
Vicki
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